Feed-water heater



(No Model.)

T. LYMANK FEED WATER HEATER.

No. 469,405. Patented Feb. 23, 1892.

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ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS LYMAN, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

FEED-WATER HEATER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Iaetters Patent No. 469,405, dated February 23, 1892. Application filed June 26, 1891. Serial No. 397,615. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS LYMAN, of Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed -Water Heaters and Circulators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description thereof, reference being had to the'accom panyi ng drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to feed-water heaters and circulators, and more particularly to a device of this character which is adapted more particularly for use in connection with locomotive-boilers, although capable of other applications.

It has for its object to provide means for heating the feed-water before it is discharged into the interiorof the boiler and for obtain ing a circulation of the water in the boiler which will not only expose all portions thereof to the heating-surfaces, and thereby equalize the temperature thereof, but also collect such sediment as may be deposited in a place from which it may be readily discharged by means of the apparatus as organized and arranged.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features which I will now proceed to describe, and will then particularly point out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of a locomotive-boiler having my improved heater and circulator applied thereto, taken on the line 1 l of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse view of the same, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

In the said drawings, A represents a locomotive-boiler of ordinary construction, having a steam-dome A and flues a, only a portion of these latter being shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

BTB indicate the feed-pipes, which are each provided with a check-valve B at the joint where they enter the boiler-to wit, near the forward end thereof, midway between the top and the bottom, on each side. Opposite the check-valves and inside of the boiler are located elbows c c, from each of which a pipe 0' piece D, provided with lateral branches (1 d,

with which the pipes c c are respectively connected, said branches 61 d merging or uniting with a jet-nozzle d, arranged to deliver its jet rearward along the central line of the bottom of the boiler.

E indicates a live-steam pipe extending from a point at the rear upper portion of the boiler, near the steam-dome A, forward and downward to the front of the boiler, from which it extends rearward toward the nozzlepiece D, within which it terminates in a nozzle E, located atthe juncture of the lateral branches d cl with the nozzle (1' and arranged within and pointing in the same direction as this latter. The connecting devices which I prefer to employ at this point are those shown, the nozzle E being provided with a collar e to bear against the outer face of the nozzlepiece D, and being threaded on that portion which is within the nozzle-piece D to receive a nut c, between which and the collar 6 the nozzle E is clamped to the wall of the nozzlepiece D. The projecting end of the nozzleE' is connected with the end of the pipe E by means of a union 6 of any approved construction.

F indicates the blowoff, which is located I at the bottom of the boiler in line with the nozzle-piece D and preferably near the rear end thereof in front of the fire-box.

G indicates a plate. extending rearward from'the nozzle-piece. D to the blow-off F. Preferably this plate extends to a slight extent over the nozzle cl and terminates just short of the blow-off, as shown. The plate G is of inverted U shape, as shown, and is provided with a plurality of apertures gand with notches g in its edges.

The device thus constructed operates in the following manner: Water is pumped or otherwise forced through the feed-pipes B B and check-valves B B into the pipes -O C and passes downward through these pipes,

becoming partially heated during its progress through the same. The feed-water then enters thebranch passages 01 d of the nozzlepiece D and issues with some force from the nozzle cl. Live steam is drawn into the pipe E by theaction of the water as it passes the nozzle E and, passing through said pipe E and nozzle E, issues from the latter and mingles with the feed-water, serving to further heat the same before it is delivered into the boiler.

It will be observed that the feed-water is not delivered directly into the interior of the boiler midway of its height, and therefore does not have to find its way downward against ascending currents, but is introduced at the bottom below the fines, and as it rises comes into contact with and is subjected to the action of all of said flues. It will also be noted that the feed water is not introduced into the boiler at its normal low temperature, but is heated before being discharged into the same by its passage through the inside pipes O O.

WVhen the engine is at work and steam is being drawn from the boiler, there is of course an ebullition of the water therein, which to some extent tends to keep suspended matter from being deposited. During this period t". 6., while the engine is at workthe feedpump or injector is constantly in action, and a current therefore passes continually rearward from the nozzle-piece D along the bottom of the boiler and prevents any sediment from being deposited at that point, which is the point where such a deposit usually occurs. This current passes rearward and upward, and, in conjunction with the agitation due to the ebullition of the waterin the boiler, already referred to, keeps the water constantly agitated and circulating, thereby keeping all solid particles in the water in a state of suspension and preventing their precipitation.

When the engine is stopped, ebullition practically ceases, a condition of comparative quiet supervenes, and the suspended matter is precipitated to the boiler-bottom. If the engine is started again shortly, the current removes the deposit, as already explained, and keeps the matter in suspension. If, however, it is desired to clean out the boiler, the blowoff is opened,the feed-pump orinjector being kept going, when the sediment will be swept rearward by the current from the nozzle to the blow-off and discharged through this latter. Duringthis blowingotfandsubsequently water may be supplied to the feed-pipes from any suitable source if the engine is so located that water under pressure is available for washing out the boiler, and in this case it will be obvious that the device will serve to wash the boiler-bottom whether steam is up or not.

,The plate G is" a desirable but not an indispensable element, its advantage being that it confines the current caused by the nozzle to the space along the bottom of the boiler for a greater distance than when the nozzle alone is relied on. This plate may therefore be used, if desired, when the feed-water contains sand or the like in such quantities that the current caused by the nozzle might be too feeble toward the rear end of its courseto pre vent the deposit of said sand. The said plate by directing the current along practically the whole length of the boiler-bottom prevents the formation of such a deposit. Any sediment precipitated from the water above the said plate will fall upon said plate or upon the boiler-bottom adjacent thereto and will pass or be drawn through the apertures thereof and carried along by the current due to the nozzle.

\Vhat Iclaim is 1. The combination, with a boiler-shell and the tubes thereof, of two externalfeed-pipes entering the boiler atopposite sides thereof, two internal pipes forming downward extensions of said feed-pipes within the boiler, said internal pipes being located between the boiler-shell and tubes and curved to correspond with the curvature of the shell, a nozzle-piece secured to the shell of the boiler beneath the tubes and provided with a horizontally-directed nozzle and with lateral branches to which the lower ends of said internal pipes are connected, and a steam-pipe located within the boiler and extending from the upper portion of the boiler to the nozzle-piece and provided with a nozzle extending through the rear wall of the nozzle-piece and terminating within the nozzle thereof, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a boiler having a blow-off located at the rear end of the bottom thereof, of an external feed-pipe, an internal pipe forming an extension of the feed-pipe within the boiler and provided with a nozzle located at the bottom of the boiler and directed rearward along the central line thereof, and a curved apertured plate extending from said nozzle rearward to the blow-off, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS LYMAN. 

